Bling-bling! Hip-hop’s love affair with diamond jewellery
A few years ago, I was fortunate enough to be present at a birthday party where one of the guests had ingeniously brought some stick-on bling! By the end of the night, everyone was covered in fake diamond jewellery, speaking in downtown New York accents and gesturing wildly in what we believed to be ‘gangster’ signals. The adornment of large flashy chains, medallions and watches resulted in the determining of the entire theme and tone for the party, leaving me to wonder where the expression bling came from and why it has become so characteristic of a specific section of society?
The term bling has been in general use since the 90s and was popularised by hip-hop artists of the decade. However, it was first heard in a 70s toothpaste commercial where the bling represented the whiteness of the teeth. The word itself refers to the ‘sound’ created by light reflecting off gold, platinum and most notably, diamond jewellery, however more specifically it describes a general ostentatious display of flashy and elaborate accessories. Bling items have evolved to form part of a staple identity donned by an entire sub-culture, who are obsessed with materialism and the exhibition of wealth. Such items have now even extended beyond diamond jewellery to include, diamond encrusted mobile phones, tooth caps and dental braces. This fixation on all things bejeweled, has led to the creation of famous comic parodies over the years, yet nevertheless actively persists. So why do hip-hop artists and the sub-culture inspired by them, feel so passionate about expressing themselves through diamond jewellery and other diamond articles?
In a society so governed by the acquirement of wealth, it should come as no surprise that there are some who feel compelled to demonstrate their assets through the exhibition of overtly valuable items, such as diamond jewellery. It is perhaps less about those who partake in showy displays, and more of a comment on society as a whole that hip-hop culture feels the need to maintain an appearance of inflated riches. Many of the artists who embellish themselves with expensive pieces of diamond jewellery often come from less fortunate backgrounds in the first place, thus using their accessories to substantiate their new-found wealth. After all, unlike most other expensive items, diamond jewellery has the ability not only to retain its value, but also to act as an indicator of an individual’s accomplishments.
Sadly over recent years, the term bling has spread in to mass culture and veterans of hip-hop, as well as current artists have disassociated themselves with it in favour of the more directly descriptive term, diamonds. Their love for diamond jewellery however is as prevalent as ever, featuring just as heavily in their identities and music lyrics, proving that diamonds by any other name are still diamonds nonetheless.